ASPIRING YOUNG FILMAKERS FROM THE BRONX JOURNEY TO UGANDA TO FULLFILL CINEMATIC DREAMS

June 16, 2008

Source: Ghetto Film School

The Ghetto Film School (GFS) announced its plans to send 10 aspiring filmmakers to Kampala, Uganda for its fourth student thesis film project. Based in the South Bronx, the Ghetto Film School is an award winning, youth-media, non-profit organization that aims to connect talented young people to artistic career opportunities in film and video.

Since its inception in 2000, GFS has provided 400 aspiring filmmakers with no-cost classic film school education and competitive internships. GFS exists through the generous support of city grants, corporate partnerships, earned income through its Digital Bodega production company and a roster of celebrity supporters and industry insiders. The Ghetto Film School curriculum is a rigorous 15-month training program that culminates with a group thesis film that is produced and directed abroad.

On June 23, 2008 select GFS students will take a two day flight to Africa to bring a student-written film to life. Working under a strict budget and limited timeline, they will be faced with the challenge of creating a short motion picture in a very unfamiliar, real world setting. Working as a group throughout the year, ten students from the program have competed for the roles of Writer, Director, and Cinematographer and will be responsible for all aspects of the film making process. Written, by Teresa Dilworth, age 19, this year’s script entitled “Live, Joseph” tells the tale of a middle aged man living in Kampala, Uganda who is bitten by a poisonous snake and only has 24-hours to live. In years past, the Fellows have traveled to Mexico City and Paris and next year’s project will take place in Shanghai, China.

At the heart of The Ghetto Film School is former social worker turned non-profit entrepreneur, Joe Hall. In 1999, well into a South Bronx community development career, Joe followed his longtime cinematic dreams and enrolled in one of the most prestigious film schools in the country. While there, he realized that all of the talented young people he had once worked with during his social work days had limited access to top notch film schools and the film industry.

Combining his passion for film and extensive experience in community youth development, Joe returned to the South Bronx and re-connected with the talented teenagers he knew from his past. When asked what they sought in a free, film-based school, the overwhelming consensus was that young people in the South Bronx were looking for a place where they could really develop their artistic talent. They felt let down by the many youth-centered programs that sought to solve stereotypical urban problems and wanted a place where they could tap into their creative aspirations. With that, Joe purchased three digital cameras and established The Ghetto Film School in a former South Bronx storefront. Under Joe’s supervision, GFS takes an assets based approach to education, helping students recognize and develop already existing strengths while building skills and confidence to excel at new challenges. Today, the school receives over 100 applications and accepts 20 students from ages 14-21 each year. GFS classes meet full-time during the summer months, with full-day Saturdays and after school sessions during the school year.

“GFS is built on the belief that more stories from a diversity of young people can benefit all kind of audiences and communities. The aim of Ghetto Film School is to ultimately benefit cinema, industry and society as a whole. Our goal is to build a sustainable artistic community known for high quality instruction and products that can enlighten others. A recurring question I remind the students to ask when creating a film is: how does this benefit me as a student…How does this benefit cinema as a whole?” said Joe Hall, Founder and President of GFS.

The Maisha Film lab will host GFS students at its school in Kampala and provide logistical support for the GFS crew during production. Upon their return, students will begin the post-production process, cutting, mixing, and color correcting the film until December 2008. The film will be shown with a world-premier screening in the spring of 2009 in New York.

“The Ghetto Film School is committed to discovering raw talent, training young artists, and creating opportunity for our next generation of filmmakers. The Uganda thesis project is the perfect example of doing just that,” said Evan Shapiro, Chairman of the Board of GFS and Executive VP/General Manager for The Independent Film Channel (IFC). “I can’t wait to see what these students accomplish in Uganda and for years to come.”

All students in the program, including those that do not travel abroad for the Thesis Project, will spend the summer in post-production or in structured, competitive internship programs with prestigious companies such as IFC, HBO, Miramax and Deutsch.

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